Packing for a vacation can be time-consuming and stressful. Creating the perfect balance of taking enough, but not taking too much can blow anyone's mind. And if you're responsible for packing for the kids and/or your partner, you need some kind of formula to make it manageable. My formula was simple - 3 shorts, 2 shirts each, and a couple of outfits for nighttime. Here's what I wore to dinners during our recent trip to Arizona and Palm Springs.

You can also have a formula with how you put together outfits. My general formula for daytime was a button-down and shorts, and for nighttime, a v-neck sweater, lightweight pants, and espadrilles.

I have a thing for summer sweaters. There are great linen and other summer-weight blends that make wearing a sweater feel like you're wearing a t-shirt - but looking much more stylish.

Espadrilles are lightweight, easy to wear, and take up minimal space in the suitcase. It was that last point that I repeated to myself as I added these 2 pairs to my already full suitcase.....